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The Falcons are just one of four NFC playoff teams to have lost to the Packers in 2011 and would surely love one more crack at them.

On Sunday night, the seeding for the NFL playoff games was set in stone when the New York Giants soundly beat the Dallas Cowboys in a game that decided the NFC East division champions. Earlier that day, the San Francisco 49ers eked by the St. Louis Rams to maintain their second seed and first-round bye, while the Atlanta Falcons secured the fifth seed after their big win over Tampa Bay and the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Green Bay Packers.

With the regular season complete, we finally have a clear picture of how the playoffs could progress. Before continuing, though, here is a quick list of the final seeding for the NFC:

1. Green Bay Packers (15-1)
2. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
3. New Orleans Saints (13-3)
4. New York Giants (9-7)
5. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
6. Detroit Lions (10-6)

The rules dictate that, in each round of the playoffs, the lowest seeded team will travel to face the highest seed, while the second lowest seed will face the second highest. The lone exception is the first round, where the two highest seeds (the Packers and 49ers this year) get a bye for that week.

So in the Wildcard Round, the Lions will square off with the Saints in the Superdome, and the Falcons will travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the Giants. Green Bay and San Francisco will both have the weekend off.  Read more... (1407 words + 1 image, estimated 5:38 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Tramon Williams is a very different player in 2010 than he was in 2009. Williams was the second most penalized defensive back in the NFL in 2009, when he stepped into a starting role after Al Harris was lost for the season. He showed some signs of brilliance, but a lack of discipline in his technique, earning him the nickname “Admiral Armbar” from Football Outsiders. Well, he and assistant coach Joe Whitt addressed the technique issues in training camp, and “Admiral Armbar” has not been seen since.

2) Profile:

Tramon Vernell Williams

Position: DB
Height: 5-11    Weight: 191 lbs.

Born: March 16, 1983 in Houma, LA
College: Louisiana Tech (school history)    (Williams college stats)

Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 19 (4692nd overall since 1950)
1-time Pro Bowler (fine print)

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: Solid starter. One way or another, Tramon Williams was going to be counted on to be a starter. Even if Al Harris was able to return to action this season, the odds of him stepping in right away were slim. Tramon Williams was going to be the Packers’ starting right cornerback in 2010 – sink or swim. Besides changing his coverage techniques, Williams was also going to be expected to improve his tackling, which the Packers’ coaches were not satisfied with in 2009.  Read more... (627 words + 3 images, estimated 2:30 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: As a free agent in 2006, cornerback Charles Woodson was not wanted by 31 of the 32 NFL teams. They thought he was a player in decline and that thanks to those supposedly diminishing skills, it wasn’t worth putting up with his antics. Well, the one team that wanted him got him, and needless to say the Green Bay Packers are pretty happy with what Woodson has become. Despite getting his relationship with then-rookie head coach Mike McCarthy in 2006, Woodson has evolved into one of the best corners in the game and the veteran leader of the Packers locker room. The whole world got to see his leadership in the aftermath of this year’s NFC Championship as well as the reports from the locker room during Super Bowl XLV. In 2009, Woodson was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year but fell short of his ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl. While his statistics may not have been as gaudy in 2010, Woodson finally had his dream fulfilled and won a ring.

Charles Woodson

Position: DB
Height: 6-1    Weight: 200 lbs.

Born: October 7, 1976 in Fremont, OH
College: Michigan (school history)
Drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft.

Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 95 (192nd overall since 1950)
7-time Pro Bowler & 2-time First-Team All-Pro  Read more... (729 words + 1 image, estimated 2:55 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Howard Green can thank for the Jenkins family for the 2010 season; while he started on the Redskins (only to be cut in the offseason), he was scooped by the Jets after starting nose tackle Kris Jenkins went on IR due to a ACL injury. But his time there was short lived as he was cut after the Jets bye week for purportedly coming back at 375 pounds. He chose to drive home in his pickup truck to New Orleans but when he hit the Louisiana border his agent called him to tell him to get his butt to Green Bay since the Packers had just claimed him up off waivers. More driving and a long flight back up north had Green back in Green, only this time to relieve some of the strain on Kris Jenkins’ injured little brother Cullen. Oh yah, and his first game was against the Jets too.

2) Profile:

Howard Green Jr.

Position: DT
Height: 6-2    Weight: 320 lbs.

Born: January 12, 1979 in Donaldsonville, LA
College: LSU (school history)
Drafted by the Houston Texans in the 6th round (190th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft.  Read more... (669 words + 1 image, estimated 2:41 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Remember back in August when Mike McCarthy and Packers management kept preaching about “improving from within?” As usual, the Packers were not buyers in the free agent market, and most of us wondered how the team’s horrendous pass defense could possibly improve after a rough end to the 2009 season. We were even more skeptical once it became apparent that Sam Shields — an undrafted rookie who played cornerback for only one season in college — was going to be Green Bay’s nickel back. However, once the 2010 season concluded and the Packers hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, everyone that originally questioned why Shields was given such a key role was pointing to the rookie as a major reason why the Packers were world champs.

2) Profile:

Sam Shields

Position: DB
Height: 5-11    Weight: 184 lbs.

Born: December 8, 1987 in Sarasota, FL
College: Miami (FL)

3) Expectations coming into the season: Not screw up too badly. While people questioned Shields’ skills as a DB, nobody questioned his raw ability. It became apparent early in practice that Shields could run with any WR in the NFL and hold his own when it came to quickness. Consistency was the major question mark. Could Shields avoid major mistakes that would cancel out any positive plays he makes?  Read more... (483 words + 1 image, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: AJ Hawk came in as a highly touted 5th overall selection in the 2006 NFL draft. Since then, his career can be described as “steady”; drafted as the most “NFL ready” player in his draft he has been just that, he usually is assignment sure and consistent in tackling and in coverage, but many people have called him out for not being the “impact player” warranting a top 5 pick. It will be interesting to see what the Packers do with perhaps their deepest position. All 4 inside linebackers have sizable contracts (with cover specialist Brandon Chillar receiving one last year and Desmond Bishop receiving one this year). Hawk’s contract included at $10 million base salary in the final year in order to stimulate an extension; he’s definitely not worth that much and it basically comes down to him or Nick Barnett (who has two years left on his contract).

2) Profile:

Aaron James Hawk

Position: LB
Height: 6-1    Weight: 245 lbs.

Born: January 6, 1984 in Centerville, OH
College: Ohio State (school history)    (Hawk college stats)
Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 1st round (5th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: Significant role player – Hawk was a starter in the base 3-4 defense, but much was made by the fact that Dom Capers didn’t play any base 3-4 in the season opener and thus Hawk was on the bench the entire game. With the rise of Tramon Williams and Sam Shields, Capers took advantage of having Charles Woodson in the slot and the nickel defense became more “base” than the base 3-4.  Read more... (635 words + 1 image, estimated 2:32 mins reading time)

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